Sunday 27 December 2009

Swans.

A few hours birding around Scatness in the sunshine ! 20 Whooper Swans, Mallard x Pintail hybrid, 73 Wigeon and 14 Tufted Ducks on the Loch, 17 Golden Plover, 350+ Greylags and the Pink-footed Goose in the fields, 1 Meadow Pipit still braving the winter around Colonial Place, Merlin and 40+ Snow Buntings around the house and the Robin still in the garden.




Whooper Swans.




Snow Buntings.

Meadow Pipit.

Mallard x Pintail hybrid.
Greylag Goose.

Saturday 26 December 2009

Pinky.

The only things of note today were the Pink-foot remains in with the Greylags in front of the house, 15 Snow Buntings over and the Robin is still in the garden.



Pink-footed Goose.
Too Good, Too Bad.
Too good - Birmingham City holding Chelsea to a 0-0 draw - every little helps !
Too bad - Someone trying to blow a plane up in the U.S. this now means that anyone travelling by air in the next 6 months will be subjected to 'over the top' security checks at all western airports, prepare for long queues and being treated as though you are Bin Laden's twin brother !

Friday 25 December 2009

Grey Christmas.

Rain, low clouds and general gloominess for most of the day, so just a bit of birding from the living room window - 1 Pink-footed Goose still with the Greylags, 2 Merlin, 2 Whooper Swans and 40 Snow Buntings over, and that was about it, apart from almost getting Water Rail on the garden list - the bird was viewable from the house but, unfortunately, was being eaten by a Herring Gull !!!
Daytime telly provided the true meaning of Christmas, when we all celebrate the birth, the life and the accomplishments of......... Morecambe & Wise !

Too Good, Too Bad. (a new, occasional and often non-bird related spleen venting spot)
Too Good - The mad woman trying to attack the Pope on Christmas eve - nutters attacking public figures are always good entertainment at any time of year !
Too Bad - Has to go to the Queen's speech - 10 minutes of a woman talking about stuff she clearly knows nothing about ! She should do a speech about something she is expert in, like German Parasites for example, or better still, let Prince Phillip do it one year - now that would be entertaining, as he tries to insult every nation possible in just 10 minutes !!!

Sunday 20 December 2009

Snow.

Snow most of the night and all morning - about 5 inches deep all over Scatness and quite a few birds around too. 250 Greylags and a Pink-footed Goose around the Fields ( and flying all over the place), 4 Jack Snipe ( 2 in the wet bit and 2 in the garden - a most welcome garden year tick), a female Common Scoter on the sea, 400 Curlew, 150 Lapwing and 100+ Golden Plover around the Loch, 4 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Redwing, 30+ Fieldfare and 16 Snow Buntings in front of the house and a Robin and 3 Blackbirds in the garden (feeding on a load of cheap fruit that I managed to acquire).


Skylark.



Greylag Geese (+ 1 Pink-footed Goose).

Saturday 19 December 2009

Snowless.

While the rest of Shetland was being covered in snow, Scatness remained relatively snow-free, the result being that the fields in front of the house were full of birds. 80+ Golden Plover, 30 Lapwing, 100+ Curlew, 21 Oystercatcher and 8 Dunlin were all feeding in the grass along with 100+ Greylags, about 20 Fieldfare and 10 Redwing came in and started to feed, 12 Snow Buntings were flying around the house for most of the day and a male Pintail settled on the sea briefly. The Robin remains in the garden.


Fieldfare.

Redwing.

Starlings (making the most of the remains of a chicken carcass).